In September 2008, as the U.S. Congress "was debating the first financial bailout, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich [3] went on Fox News [4] to decry how Fannie Mae [5] and Freddie Mac [6] had so 'many politicians beholden to them' that no one would step up to protect the American taxpayers," notes Muckety.com. But, as it turns out, Freddie Mac paid Gingrich $300,000 in 2006, "to push back against tough, new regulations of the mortgage company at a time the Bush administration was concerned about how big the two government-backed mortgage giants had become." After taking the money, Gingrich "talked and wrote about what he saw as the benefits of the Freddie Mac business model," reported the Associated Press [7]. The Gingrich hire was part of an effort to woo conservatives; Freddie Mac also hired Frank Luntz [8] and the DCI Group [9] in 2005. Freddie Mac spent $11.7 million on outside lobbyists and consultants in 2006; 17 firms focused on Republicans, while four focused on Democrats. Freddie also hired Gingrich in 1999, "to provide strategic counsel," notes TPMMuckraker [10].